Budleigh Salterton town leaders and traders have urged Post Office to consider a temporary solution while the facility at Coop, High Street, undergoes a refurbishment

Elderly residents in Budleigh Salterton face having travel four miles to collect their pension for two weeks next month.

The Post Office facility in Coop, High Street, will be closing from Saturday, September 30, at 2pm, until Wednesday, October 18 at 9am.

This means that residents looking to collect their pensions may have to travel to Post Office branches at Brixington or Littleham, in Exmouth, for this 18-day period.

Town leaders and traders have appealed to the company to offer a temporary solution for its residents.

However, Post Office told The Journal that there is ‘no plan’ to do this as it would ‘not be practical to do so’.

In a letter to the company, town mayor Alan Dent said: “Budleigh now has only Lloyds bank and has an elderly population where 40 per cent of residents are over the age of 65.

“Thus the service provided by the embedded Post Office is vital for banking and other services as well as local businesses as well as for tourists as we are coastal resort.

“Any temporary facilities that could be provided will be of huge benefit and would be much appreciated.”

The temporary closure could also affect businesses, with some traders relying on the post office facility to send parcels and make transactions.

Budleigh Salterton Chamber of Commerce chairman Mike Hilliar said: “I understand the need for the COOP to upgrade, however it is disappointing to hear that the post office will be cost as a result of these works.

“It will mean that most of the businesses in the town will either have to close their doors to the public for an hour or two while they go over to Exmouth or Exeter to do their banking.

“I would have hoped that the post office would have made some sort of arrange for businesses and residents to still be able to use the post office service in the town either by setting up a temporary shop or even a mobile van however this looks like it will not happen.

“I feel sorry for all the town’s traders and wished that more consultation had been done with the local businesses and residents which will be affected by this closure.”